Starter just spun! Do i need to drop the engine?
 

Went to start the Pcar this morning and the starter just spun. So I put the car in gear and rocked it back and forth a little, then it started just fine (took it out of gear of course and depressed clutch). I figured it spun because a tooth must be missing on either the starter or the "whatever" with which it connects (flywheel?). So now I have to determine if the missing tooth is on the starter or on the flywheel(?). If it's the starter I suspect I can remove it without to much work, but if it's the flywheel :eek: then what? (I think I know what's coming:( )

I would say remove the starter and inspect it first...then you could have someone turn the crank and inspect the ring gear through the opening where the starter was.

I don't know how to diagnos the problem, but getting the starter off should be no problem. Make sure that you disconnect the battery when working on the starter. If it is the ring gear around the flywheel the engine will have to come out, I think. At least I can see no way around it, but I've been wrong before.

I believe this is actually a not too uncommon problem. Porsche issued some sort of technical bulletin about this problem.

In my case it was the ring gear on the flywheel that was having the teeth wear. It got progressively worse over time until I did have to pull the motor to fix. The ring gear is not integral with the flywheel (unlike VW's) however, and can be replaced seperately.

You can live with it for awhile (although that GGGRING noise is very annoying), but count on pulling the motor eventually...

ianc

Sounds like the ring gear. You can pull the starter and use a mirror and flashlight to look into the opening to see the ring gear teeth. If they are damaged, you will have to pull the motor to make the repair.

How is your clutch? Maybe you could kill two birds with one stone...

How is your clutch? Maybe you could kill two birds with one stone... [/B][/QUOTE]

It's the only Porsche I've ever driven/owned: I have no other reference to determine clutch wear. It starts to engage at the top 1/3 of the pedal; how's that?

Couldn't it just be that the seleniod is not kicking the starter gear out?

Yes. Total failure of the solenoid would result in the starter motor spinning freely without engaging.

It's most likely just the starter bendix drive, a cheap and easy fix ($50.00).

I did mine a while back, and recall contributing to a related post, so do a search.

Agreed about the solenoid / bendix drive.

I have this same problem. Sometimes it will happen twice in a week. Other times I can go months without it happening.

Funny thing is that after I first bought the car about 1 1/2 years ago, it would do it more often. Sometimes, several times before turning over. It has slowly decreased in frequency to the point it is now, about once every other month.

At first, I assumed it was the ring gear, but now I lean more towards starter issue. One of these days I'll throw in a new high torque one and see how it goes.....

-Chris

I discovered that as the bendix wears, the drive clutch gets (rotationally) stiff, therefore the pinion gear does not engage the ring gear properly. The self alignment or meshing of the pinion gear to the ring gear is hampered by the extra friction.

Also the pinion gears get mushed up on the ends of the teeth, further hampering the engagement.

Sorry, my bad.

If you are hearing a loud annoying GGGRING! noise when you try to start the car that sounds like two gears bashing each other, then it is the ring gear.

If the starter just spins but doesn't make any noise, it will probably be the starter. Although... I thought the main starter motor didn't get juice unless the solenoid had thrown the pinion gear out?

ianc

Like said above, These 3.2s have the ring gear issue. BTDT. Did the g50 update while I was in there

Had the same problem too. On a G50 Carrera, I don't think you can R&R the starter without a partial engine drop. At least none of us could make the bear hug big enough to do it. If you have a clutch job coming up, you should just do it all. If your ring gear isn't chewed up too badly, you can just flip it around when you have it out instead of dropping $80 for a new one. When the teeth get chewed up, it's usually just the outsides of them, which is reversible.